Sports Round Table: MLB edition

Here at MyFantasySportsTalk.com we have polled our MLB experts on the hot topics surrounding baseball today. Here are their thoughts in the second installment of MFST’s Sports Round Table. To check out our first installment click here.

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1. Who deserves NL ROY Joc Pederson or Kris Bryant?

Dan Schalk: I have to go with Joc Pederson. He has been up with the Dodgers all season and has excelled defensively as much as he has offensively. Currently in the running for a Gold Glove as well as the ROY, Pederson has been the one steady outfielder for the first-place Dodgers. If Pederson can keep up his home run pace (currently has 20) and patrol center field for LA, he should win the ROY over Bryant. Bryant is having a phenomenal rookie season, but he is dealing with a smaller sample size (no-fault to his own) an easier position to play (3B) and his team is not as successful, three factors why he is less deserving.

Colby Gatz: The NL ROY year race should be very close with Pederson and Bryant leading the way. Bryant had more hype coming into the year and has had a great season thus far. Peterson, on the other hand, has come in and produced at an All-Star level to this point. I believe that playing on a first place team has helped Pederson because he has a lot of talent around him. He is not expected to be the face of the franchise right away which has also helped him succeed at an unbelievable pace. I fully expect Pederson to keep playing at this level, which would make him deserve the Rookie of the Year award for the National League.

Tony Clements: This is one of the closest ROY races we have had in quite a few years with two premium players leading the way. Both Pederson and Bryant were highly touted prospects and have made immediate impacts upon breaking into the league. Pederson has the edge in home runs but Bryant has a slight lead in RBI and batting average. I believe the deciding factor for who will win NL ROY is whichever players team makes the playoffs. With that being said I expect Pederson to win the prestigious award if he can keep up this level of production and keep helping his team.

Hayden Held: At the beginning of the season all focus was on Kris Bryant but almost halfway through the season it is Joc Pederson who is in the lead for NL rookie of the year. He leads all rookies in on base percentage and is second in OPS. His 20 home runs compared to Kris Bryant’s 10. Pederson also is a superior defensive player and that should help him in the voting.

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2. If you were Commissioner Rob Manfred would you reinstate Pete Rose to the MLB, allowing him to be eligible for the HOF?

Dan Schalk: I do not believe gambling in MLB is worse than taking steroids, and Pete Rose as a ballplayer could be the best hitter the game has ever seen. That being said, I would not turn back Bud Selig’s decision if I were Manfred. Manfred was Selig’s right-hand man for many years in the commissioner’s office and have similar principles. If Manfred were to overturn Selig’s decision, how do you think their relationship would turn out?

Colby Gatz: If I were the Commissioner I would not reinstate Pete Rose. The information that has been released in the past week or so has hurt his chances even more than they already were. Betting on baseball as a player and manager is an inexcusable offense. Although we don’t know, the thought of him betting against his team when having a direct impact on the game is an absolute disgrace. Although he had great career as player, his choices while playing and managing should keep him out of the Hall of Fame forever.

Tony Clements: If I were the Commissioner I would reinstate Pete Rose. He has shown plenty of remorse for his actions and while new evidence has surfaced that he bet on baseball during his playing years, I still do not think that he should be banned from the game. He was a huge part of many people’s lives and I believe he could be a great help to today’s players. That being said I still do not think he will be voted into the HOF even if he is reinstated. The HOF is a sacred community that children dream of being apart of when they grow up and idolize the players currently in it.

Hayden Held: If I was Commissioner Rob Manfred I would reinstate Pete Rose to the MLB. I feel like Pete Rose has paid his dues and has been used as an example of what a punishment for gambling will be. I feel like the All time hit leader of baseball deserves to be in the Hall of Fame especially since he did not cheat to get those hits. Although what he did was wrong and he lied repeatedly about betting on games, Pete Rose belongs in the Hall.

3. Sitting 20 games under .500 what’s next for the Milwaukee Brewers?

Dan Schalk: Sell, sell, sell, sell. The Brewers have some pieces that can help jump-start a rebuild and if they do not do it soon, they will be in a similar situation as the Phillies (without the World Series rings). Carlos Gomez, Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy, Jean Segura and their entire rotation should be on the block in order to gain the necessary prospects to start the rebuild. Manager Craig Counsel who took over a month into the season is a great candidate to mold a young team into true baseball players. The time is now to sell.

Colby Gatz: The Milwaukee Brewers are a mess right now. They have quite a bit of veteran talent but have been unable to put it all together and make a run. The best way to fix this team would be to trade some of that talent and try to rebuild through the minor leagues. The NL Central is not going to get any easier the next few years with Chicago starting to play good baseball and the Cardinals and Pirates leading the way. Although it may take years to be competitive, rebuilding is the best way for Milwaukee to get back into contention. The fanbase must be patient, but with time the Brewers should be able to field a skilled roster and give the city a talented baseball team to root for.

Tony Clements: Watching the Brewers franchise is starting to get depressing. They have truly struggled not only this season but the last two as well. One thing that they need to do is ramp up their pitching staff but being a non-competitor this season, chances are they will not get a big league ready pitcher during this season. What I see them doing next is moving their high-profile players with large contracts and trying to reload their minor league system. They need to look towards the future because with what their team is composed of now they will not be able to win anything. Brewers fans look for a reconstruction that may take three or four years to produce anything but be patient, they could be the next Astros.

Hayden Held: At 29-48 and 23 games back of the Cardinals for the division lead, the Brewers need to trade all high-profile veterans and acquire young talent. Cutting ties with Ryan Braun and Carlos Gomez could be hard for fans but a strong farm system with talented prospects is the only way to rebuild. This Brewers team needs more than a few years to rebuild but by following the model of the Astros or Cubs they could be in contention again soon.

USA TODAY Sports

4. Is A-Rod a Hall-of-Famer?

Dan Schalk: His numbers are HOF caliber, but will the voters ever write down his name? Eventually, I think baseball and commissioner Manfred will allow known steroid abusers in the Hall, but how they are placed should be a factor. I am a proponent for creating a wing full of Hall-of-Famers that have cheated, separate them from everyone else so the fans know exactly what type of player they were. Their numbers are HOF-worthy, but do not put them next to those who never cheated and kept their integrity in the game of baseball.

Colby Gatz: The numbers that Alex Rodriguez has put up in his career are outstanding and when thinking about only the numbers, he is absolutely a Hall of Famer. Stats, however, do not tell the whole story. Rodriguez’s admission as a steroid user is something that will most likely keep him out the Hall of Fame forever. What A-Rod did was cheating and in my opinion, cheaters should not be able to be in the Hall of Fame.

Tony Clements: I can never see Alex Rodriguez or any steroid users for that matter, ever making the Hall-of-Fame. Sports is based on honesty and integrity and a person doesn’t qualify for either of those things by cheating. Now while his numbers may be Hall-of-Fame worthy and what he accomplished is still impressive, doing it by cheating doesn’t deserve to be rewarded. I MLB begins to put people who took steroids into the Hall-of-Fame people will begin to question the no-steroid rule that is currently in place. I also believe if they allow steroid users into the Hall-of-Fame it will make certain people think that it is now alright to use steroids if they can make the Hall-of-Fame.

Hayden Held: I think Alex Rodriguez will eventually make the Hall of Fame. It probably won’t be on the first ballot but like it or not he has some of the greatest stats in baseball history. All though the steroid use has obviously bolstered his career, A-rod is a huge part of baseball history and deserves to be in the Hall.

You can stay up-to-date with MyFantasySportsTalk.com MLB Sports Round Table on Twitter:

MFST: @MyFntsySprtsTlk

Dan Schalk: @FFSportsTalk

Colby Gatz: @Bostonfan_15

Tony Clements: @Clements_tony21

Hayden Held: @Hheld212

https://www.myfantasysportstalk.com/sports-round-table-mlb-edition-2/https://i0.wp.com/www.myfantasysportstalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/CG_New_Logo_3.jpg?fit=420%2C284&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/www.myfantasysportstalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/CG_New_Logo_3.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=12015-06-30T10:22:27+00:00Dan SchalkAnalysisBaseballMLBRecent Posts#Kris Bryant,#MLB,Alex Rodriguez,Chicago Cubs,Joc Pederson,Los Angeles Dodgers,Milwaukee Brewers,New York Yankees,Pete Rose,Rob Manfred,Sports Round TableHere at MyFantasySportsTalk.com we have polled our MLB experts on the hot topics surrounding baseball today. Here are their thoughts in the second installment of MFST's Sports Round Table. To check out our first installment click here.
1. Who deserves NL ROY Joc Pederson or Kris Bryant?
Dan Schalk: I have...Dan SchalkDanSchalkmyfantasysportstalk@gmail.comAdministratorDan Schalk is a sports enthusiast with degrees in Sports Coaching and Sports Management. He founded MyFantasySportsTalk in July of 2014 to bring a new platform to the sports media industry and allow various sports fans across the country have their voices be heard. Hailing from Buffalo, NY the land of the real chicken wing, you can stay up-to-date with Dan on Twitter @ffsportstalk
You can also check some of Dan's work at Fantasypros.com, as he covers the Houston Astros as a team correspondent.MyFantasySportsTalk